A Wyoming woman accused of trying to arrange the killing of her daughter’s boyfriend has accepted a plea deal nearly three years after investigators say an undercover agent uncovered the alleged plan.
Wendy Coe, 57, pleaded no contest Monday to attempted aggravated assault and battery in Park County. The plea reduced the original charge of soliciting first-degree murder, which had exposed her to a potentially much longer prison sentence.
Under the agreement, prosecutors will seek no more than five to eight years in prison. Coe’s defense team can also ask the court to consider probation.
Judge Bill Simpson accepted the plea and ordered a presentence investigation. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Investigation Began With a Tip
The case dates back to December 2023, when Cody police received information that Coe had been looking for someone willing to kill her daughter’s boyfriend.
Investigators eventually arranged for a Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation agent to pose as a potential hitman and contact Coe.
During a December 20 meeting at the store where Coe worked, the undercover agent discussed a $10,000 payment for the proposed killing, according to court records.
Coe reportedly told the agent that she believed the boyfriend was harming her daughter and had introduced her to drugs. Investigators said the conversation then turned to possible ways the man could be killed.
The undercover agent suggested making the death appear to have happened during a drug deal. Coe also discussed the possibility of an overdose.
When the agent said he would prefer to shoot the man, Coe responded, “Works for me,” according to the affidavit.
Investigators said Coe was also asked to provide information that could help identify and locate the intended target, including photographs and details about his vehicle and workplace.
Money Became a Problem
The alleged plan did not move forward because of a dispute over the money.
The following day, Coe told the undercover agent that she could not afford the $10,000 price. She indicated that she might have some money after the new year and more after receiving a raise in the spring.
The agent offered to consider a lower price, but Coe declined, saying there was too much risk involved.
She was arrested on December 21, 2023, and booked into the Park County Jail.
Coe later spent about seven months in jail before being released on a $50,000 surety bond.
Defense Raised Entrapment Argument
As the case moved through court, Coe’s defense argued that jurors should be allowed to consider whether she had been entrapped during the undercover operation.
Prosecutors disputed that argument.
The state maintained that Coe had already been looking for someone to kill the man before she met the undercover agent. Prosecutors argued that the agent did not persuade her to develop the plan but instead provided an opportunity to carry out an idea she had already pursued.
The case was also delayed while the court addressed whether Coe was competent to proceed. A later evaluation determined that she understood the proceedings and could work with her attorney in preparing her defense.
Case Now Moves Toward Sentencing
The no-contest plea brings the long-running case closer to a conclusion, but Coe has not yet been sentenced.
A presentence investigation will examine information including her background and circumstances before Judge Simpson decides the sentence.
The prosecution has agreed to a sentencing recommendation capped at five to eight years, while the defense may argue for probation.
For now, the court has not announced a date for the sentencing hearing.
